The Moon and the Stars
by GreekHeroine
Summary: Following Kina, a girl fed up with life in Gotham and all its crime ridden glory as she tries to clean up her block. Runs into Nightwing and sparks fly
1. Chapter 1

Gotham.

It's not a good town.

In fact anyone who lives here is liable to win the most insane award. Daily. Actually hourly.

The reason I'm stuck here? My mother.

Poor mom, theres nowhere else for us to go. She was injured years ago in a car wreck. Cant do much standing or sitting up. So what's she supposed to do? Move to a squalid city where rent is practically zero thanks to the psycho villians.

Yeah we live in that part of Gotham.

I've actually seen Killer Croc jump into the sewer, walking through Two Face's territory is my trip home. The freaking Penguin owns half our block.

But I've seen the other side too.

Batman trading blows with Joker, Robin rescuing some innocents from Black Mask and his goons. They're amazing. But sadly it's not quite enough.

Of course Nightwing swings in every now and then, but he's mainly more west, in Bludhaven. Rumor is that he used to be Robin. I wouldnt believe it if I hadn't seen it myself. The new Robin is more... brutal. I just hope he knows what hes up against. Nightwing left the job only a year ago and the new guy's been on the clock for maybe 3 or 4 months.

So there ya go, Moms a cripple, I live in the worst area of the most crime filled city in America and I'm caught up on all the superhero tabloids. Youd think I'd run.

Nah.

I'm not that smart.

So let me tell you who I am now.

My name is Kina. And I've decided to try some therapy. Of the violent kind.

I keep looking between the window and the broken half mirror in my room.

It's not hard to find someone who will give you some body armor. It's not an exact fit though. I tighten the string holding the corset over my breast and sling a leather jacket over my tanned arms. I'm reasonably toned and I've gotten used to chilly nights here in Gotham but the extra protection doesnt hurt.

I adjust the red buckle over my cargo pants and stomp the floor with the heavy boots. A shout of annoyance travels from my 3rd floor neighbors below and o shake my head.

I've been debating the past hour or not to tie my hair away from my face or let it go. It's short, you learn quick in Gotham not to have long hair ever, and I decide to let it loose.

I slip on black biker gloves and drop dark glasses over my face. It's not perfect, but itll do. I'm just going for a walk around the neighborhood.

I grab my gear, standard no matter when I was going out, a thick heavy metal bat, brass knuckles and pepper spray. I pocket the smaller items along with a set of silver knives I bought and I grab a rusting grappling hook and old rope.

The seller claimed it's a Batman original from about a decade ago. I dont really know, not like theres a way to authenticate it but I tested it a few hours ago and the spring is still good. I just hope this rope I've bought is strong enough to haul my 100lb body out the window and over the alley.

I push the window open, hardly a breath and it swings wide open. I line up the gun and fire.

The rope whizzes across and the grapple bites into the crumbling brick easily. I tug on it and grin at the fact it hasn't come down. Yet.

I look back, knowing my mother is sleeping, hopped up on pain pills that hardly work and sleeping till dawn.

With a final pull and a deep breath I leap out the window.

Wow.

It's been 2 hours.

Ive never felt more free.

I've swung my grapple around 8 blocks and only fallen twice. I'm getting the layout of my little square of turf and I'm thinking I can do this.

It helps of course I took dance when I was younger.

When dad was alive and Mom wasnt injured.

I took 9 different disciples. I know flips and leaps as well as turns and kicks. It feels good to finally stretch again and to feel the burn in my muscles.

I dont know if its Batman running these buildings but as I'm stretching over rooftops and climbing up ladders I feel some are better then others, and some have been repaired from obvious vigilantes using them.

I twist around an awning and drop to ground level just as I hear the familiar sounds of a mugging.

The demands of a wallet the leers of a drunken ass and the whimpering of an innocent woman. I pocket the grapple and twirl my bat like a baton. I walk into the alley, confident.

"Hey buddy, what's your deal? Lose your money on the game?"

"Who the hell are you?" The drunk shouts, keeping hold on the woman.

"Let her go or I'll break your arm."

"You're not a bat or a birdie are you?" He asks in a slur.

"Let her go!" I demand, my voice wavering.

"I'll be there in a minute hun." He waves me away and that's when I snap.

"I said," I yell, charging him, "let her go!"

I close my eyes as I rush, simply hollering and swinging my bat. I hear screaming and metal hitting flesh. I open my eyes to see the woman broke free and the drunk holding his arm.

"You bitch!"

"Damn right!" I shout, stupidity and confidence flooding me, "you want someone to hit try someone who hits back!"

"Dont need to."

Befire I could step aside, he drew a gun and fired. I screamed, the bulletproof vest clearly not that bullet proof as it hits the side of my ribs. I drop the bat and fall to the grimy concrete as he kicks me in the face.

"You stupid bitch, stay home where you belong. You ain't no hero!"

My visions fading fast and I feel blood pooling under me. Each kick from this guy is like a sledge hammer. I'm crying now, as he delivers a final kick.

"Now I'm gonna show you why you dont mess with other peoples business!"

I look up with blurry vision as the gun is dropped into my eyesight. I hear the click of the hammer as if in slow motion and I close my eyes for the inevitable.

Fortunately it never came.

Grunts and solid hits with my bat alert me to open my swelling eye again as I see a rope tie itself around my attempted murderer.

"Cant go out one night without a mugging can we?" I hear a cheerful voice as someone suddenly appears dressed in black and red.

"Cmon KF you know how Gotham is. No rest ever." Another voice says.

I try to turn my head for the source but I cant move.

"Dude, she a losing a lot of blood. Nearest hospital?" The first one says, I vaguely recognize the symbol on his chest.

"Gotham General. 2 blocks east on the right."

"Gotcha."

Before I can speak I feel wind rushing past me and I wonder if I'm dead before i lose consciousness.

Beeping. Why is there beeping and why does my side feel like I've been hit by a truck?

I open my eyes, painfully slowly to an all white wall.

"Am I dead?"

"No," a female voice says.

I turn my head painfully to my left and see a woman, no a nurse with a clipboard.

"What?" I ask, my throat dry and my lips cracked. I sound like dying.

"Nightwing and one of the Flashes found you in an alley about 4 hours ago. You were the victim of a mugging. We had to give you a little of blood just to keep you stable."

My head is still fuzzy so I look to my other side to see my arm is being held hostage by a myriad of tubes, one of which is pumping blood into me.

"Flash?" I ask, that must be how I got here so quick.

"One of them. Theres the Flash then like Flash Junior." She says nonchalantly. As if rescue by superheroes is no big deal.

Gotham General. I remember someone saying that, it is the central hospital for this part of the city, I realize. Lot of victims from Batman's psychos in here.

"Were keeping you here till tomorrow morning. You didnt have any I'd on you so now that you're awake i need to know who to call to pick you up." The nurse says.

My head is throbbing and my body hurts, but i know enough that if my mom finds this out shell never let me out of her sight. I have to try again, I have to be better if I'm going to change our neighborhood. I shake my head, running whatever crime was latest in Gotham.

"Jsut me," I croak, " Turned 18 a few weeks ago and my parents got killed by Posion Ivy."

"During the Arkham breakout?" She asks, not even looking up from her clipboard.

"Ya, on the bridge."

"I'm sorry. Well if you are 18 and have no one to care for you I suppose you can discharge yourself at anytime but I strongly recommend to wait. Take this to the pharmacy before you leave, 2 of these pain pills twice a day for the next week. And well need some info to send you the bill."

"Thank you," I take the prescription and the insurance forms from her and she leaves. Once the door is closed I snort, tossing all but the prescription in the trash.

I look over the machines that woke me up and I shake my head.

Here I was only half a night in and already in the hospital. Oh well, no one said I was smart.


	2. Chapter 2

I waited two weeks this time. I checked myself out of the hospital first chance I got and told mom I caught the flu. She let me be and I recovered.  
Aside from a quickly vanishing bruise, two weeks later I was at my window again.  
Of course I wore a different vest this time, didnt bother going back to my original guy and ordered off Amazon. Sure, I'd sacrifice a few soup cans and a Gatorade but it was worth it. This one fit and so did everything else. Unfortunately I couldn't get new equipment so I had no grapple or knives, but somehow my brass knuckles and pepper spray survived the trip to the hospital and we always had spare bats around the house. I dropped down the fire escape, hardly wincing now at the unfortunate shot under my ribs. I was determined to see this through and I would be damned if one mugger stopped me.  
I adjusted my glasses and swung my bat as I prowled ground level for any trouble.  
Three hours later and walking around the 8 block stretch i decided was my territory and I had stopped nothing. Nothing was happening tonight and so I decided to go home.  
Of course a week later and I only stopped one other mugging and some harmless beggars. I slumped against a pole, wondering how the hell I picked a dead week to start my crusade. I glanced at my phone, 3:07am. My patrol was over. I started to head back when I heard a familiar car. I looked back in amazement as it came out of the shadows.  
Long, sleek and blacker than black, the Batmobile. No discernible make or model of course, all custom with its ethereal glow like headlights and long tailing fenders. It drives past me without a care in the world and I watched in fascination as the jet erupted in a white hot flame, sending the low riding beast through my crappy neighborhood. That's when it hits me of course. Batman. He would have access and gadgets galore for what I want to do! But how to convince him I'm legit?  
For the next two weeks, I aggressively stalk my 8 block radius. I trade a future favor for a police scanner even and only stop 5 muggers and more beggars. I've learned how to sew to save my life when I was stabbed. I ran down a rubber from our crappy grocery store, and a stabbing was my thanks for that. I've listened for hints of where Batman is, but he doesnt come to my little square. Only passing through.  
Passing through like Nightwing and Flash did that night.  
At two weeks from seeing the batmobile, I'm running my circuit, my patrol when I hear glass breaking. I stop and double back to see a dog barking in protest. Hes tied up to a pole and two men are loading thier van with a couple boxes.  
"Black Friday isn't for another few months guys." I shout.  
"get lost bitch!" one shots back, firing his gun in the air. Final warning."  
"rude," I snap back, ducking behind another car.  
"ain't you heard? This is Black Masks turf now. And he dont like any good doers."  
Oh goody, were in a transition of power.  
"tell Black Mask I dont give a damn!" I yell back. As the guy fires his gun, I run heading towards another car that's on the right of the building. I'll come at him from behind, his friend is still in the store and I'll take both down separately.  
"Show yourself!"  
"ya and get shot? No thanks!" I counter as I run for cover. Just as I thought, hes out of bullets. Before he reloads I jump up and scream, coming at him with the bat.  
I hit his head first and spin. I knew him in the ground and he goes down easily. With a solid swing i knock him out completely just as the second guy steps out if the broken window.  
"what the hell?"  
Before he does anything more, I leap to the side and roll. I grab a discarded box and throw it at him. It hits him full in the face and drops like a rock. I walk over, hitting him with my bat to really send the message home and look in the box.  
Its phones, but old school flip phones. I frown at my discovery just as I hear sirens. I grab a phone and run down the alley as the cops arrive.  
Behind the safety of an old dumpster I look over the phone expecting it to be some high tech in disguise and groan when theres nothing. I try all the buttons and even opening the battery casing. I shake my head, tossing it and making my way home.  
The next morning I wake up to the news being played downstairs. I lean out my window to hear it and smile.  
"last night it seems a new vigilante has taken up residence in Gotham with a mysterious new hero taking on two men of Black Masks order. While they didnt stay for any public appearance or record, local cameras caught them fleeing the scene. Commissioner Gordon has assured us that this new hero is not an ally to the bat and is being fully investigated. More on this in our 11:00 story"  
I dip my head back in and sigh. Maybe I could get his attention after all. And maybe he could help me. 


	3. Chapter 3

It's been 3 days since the videos gone viral. Everyone's talking about it. A new hero, a bat maybe but who knows. I smile to myself during the day and at night I run my rounds. I stop 2 more muggings and chase off a pair of robbers but nothing connected to Black Mask or Penguin. I resign myself to my little 8 block knowing that in Gotham trouble is never far behind.

On the fourth day I'm running rounds per usual when I see a black and white truck speeding down the street. Seeing the vanity plate PENG IND 1 I grin.

My chance to shine as I jump on the open her faced with three armed men.

"What the hell?"

"Shoot her!"

I duck behind a box that's sliding in the bed as they waste fire and throw my bat forward. It knocks one guy in the head I jump into action.

I wrestle with one guy, forcing him to drop the gun over the side and I switch places with him as his friend fires blindly. I throw one at the other and drop to the ground.

My bat is rolling around the bed along with the box and I take advantage tripping the third assailant and causing him to fly over the truck and into the street. I turn and trade blows with another guy as I hear a familiar roar creep up on us.

Too slow, I turn just as the second guy grabs a discarded gun and fires. I'm hit in the shoulder and twice in my leg. I tackle him, knocking the gun out and roll away as the box slams into him. Before I can stand in grabbed by the shoulder and thrown out of the truck. I scream as I slam and roll through the trash littered street. I look up as the batmobile whizzes past me, a hairs breadth away from my face.

I blink slowly as the pain threatens to overwhelm me as the batmobile fires and pulls the bed clean off the truck. There's an explosion of fire as the gas tank is hit with gunfire. I stand up slowly as I hear Batman work and I limp to the alley.

"That was stupid," I look up as Robin watches me, "leave this to the pros will ya?"

As he jumps out into the street, joining the fight I shake my head, like I'm gonna listen to pipesqueak. But even I know I can't fight with being shot like I was.

My body is bruised and batters later in the shower and I with. The vest only protects my center mass, not my limbs. I close my eyes, letting the water clean the filth off me as well as Bill. Once in out I bandage myself up and fall back on my bed, sucking down half a bottle of pain pills and water.

At least I tried, I listen in as the news relays Batman and Robin's latest escapades against Penguin.

It takes me a few days to recover, bullet holes don't heal overnight and get people still talk as if I'm out there every night. They've even named me, a silly idea but I don't mind.

Crescent.

I kind of like it. So I don't complain. A week after my near team up I'm setting out again. Its cold and raining but I can't help but feel restless after what I've done. I track down a guy I've heard is selling cocaine and plan to break a hand for such an enterprise.

My plan goes of without a hitch, poor avatars is really debating a new line of work and I'm wondering how to advance my own career.

2 weeks go by, I stop a bar brawl between worker bees of Black Mask and Penguin, I stop some car thieves and a rapist. It feels good and I'm confident in doing something for my little 8 blocks of crap. A fire even breaks out and I help our paltry neighborhood fire volunteers put it out. A drunk in a resteraunt gets a visit from me too and whenever the phones come out I run.

I'm not Batman but I'm hoping my mystery is going to force him to check in sooner or later. I can't go after the big boys if I'm stuck beating on the small fry.

I've been at this now almost 3 months when I finally get real traction. Some guy babbling on about Black Mask pushing new drugs into my little corner and I decide to step in.

I run in the alleys towards an old bookstore that got shot up and abandoned two years ago. Rumor where the drugs are being passed from supplier to dealer. I grin coming up on the building. I hear probably a dozen people inside and I'm satisfied to see no guards patrolling. I leap shadow to shadow, old car to awnings to tables and I'm on the patio. I sneak under the busted window and peer over into the shop.

There's 3 men with boxes, one guy is displaying a dime bag of blue powder while his two buddies stand guard.

Across from him are 5 men, I recognize 2 of them as dealers and assume the other 3 are as well.

I prop a small camera, a dash cam on the window sill and hit record as they talk.

"Look the girl won't be a problem. She's going after the fools. The wannabes, the nobodies and Batmans so busy with the freaks up town he won't even come here." The supplier snaps.

"Look we just don't want any trouble. Cocaine and weed are one thing but this stuff..." one dealer trails off.

"This stuff is better then any if that mumbo jumbo, they call it Blue Ice. Lets ya do anything without any pain." The supplier explains, "how do you think the Mask can take a beating and still kick back drinks?"

"This is still Penguins turf-"

"Not for long, after that shitstorm at the Lounge with Robin he'll be in jail for the next year. All for the taking now, its free game and Black Mask pays better."

"What's the deal?"

"Sell for $15 to newbies then $40 for repeats. You take 12%. More then fair."

The dealers turn away to talk and I look around for an opening. I may have the evidence for the cops, but I'm feeling stressed so the exercise will do me good.


End file.
